This would have been a dream choice for me. Accept my expressions of envy. Then, do Idaho. With either school, you will probably remain in the PNW. Either will serve as well, if you can't get into U. Dub. So keep it cheap as possible and you will have a beautiful life!

I am planning on attending the admitted students day at U of Idaho on March 26th. I went and visited U of Oregon last year during the week of new student orientation. Because of this no one was available to give me a tour etc. I did meet with Tim Hicks the Director of the Masters in ADR program. ADR is an interest of mine, but the Masters program didn't sound like a good add on to a JD. After that visit I thought the campus was beautiful but didn't get a good feel for the Law School due to lack of tour/class visit, and no student tour guide to grill about the school.

I enjoyed inept's comment. But in law school, you really don't have much time for either the outdoors or the club scene. The old saying that they work you to death in the second year is true but it really applies to the first two years. You are doing just as much work in the third year but by then you have learned to do law like a lawyer and have become much more efficient. But most students are doing a clinic in the third year or writing a significant research paper and those are whole new time consumers. Not to mention starting to find work.

Law school is nothing like undergrad. If you are like most law students, they won't have to tell you to study 2 hours for each hour in class; you will find that it takes at least that much time just to keep up. I'm not saying that the material is particularly hard, it isn't, but there's just so MUCH of it.

My point is that the nature of the town shouldn't have much weight in making the decision where there's as much money difference as the OP faces. Much better to come out owing tens of thousands of dollars less.

You say you live in Idaho...have you been to where the law school is? Moscow is...not pretty. And a long way from anywhere pretty.

However, it is WAY cheaper, for you. Also, my understanding is the there is now an option to do your 3L year in Boise, which would make it significantly more attractive. (My best friend lives in Idaho and tried to talk me into law school there...not happening though)

I think it depends on where you want to work, if Idaho, I'd say take the lower debt. I wouldn't say they place equally well in Oregon, though, so if you want to work here (oregon) I might consider the U of O offer.

And no, you won't have a lot of time to enjoy scenery, but you mentioned a wife (kids?), and I'd presume environment might matter a bit more to the people who WON'T be locked in a room reading for 12 hours a day. So it's a real factor for your situation.

CanadianWolf wrote:Danteshak: Sorry that you feel that way. You are the one who brought up the issue of difficulties & then refuse to elaborate causing others to speculate.

P.S. Idaho is home to a lot of supremicist groups.

I am assuming you mean "supremacist." Yes, I am aware of the groups. I am not sure how that has anything to do with the University of Idaho - perhaps you can enlighten me. Also, you have misspelled my handle twice.

You know, you're right, it totally depends on what type of scenery an individual defines as 'pretty'. Everyone likes different environs and I shouldn't generalize. While the TOWN of moscow itself can be pretty, I find the surrounds really unpleasant. I *personally* prefer the surrounds of Eugene, but I grew up in Oregon and am likely quite biased. Some people love the rolling hills, I need more trees! But that's TOTALLY personal.

I grew up in Oregon and find Eugene extremely ugly. The city and campus look very dated, 70s/80s style, except for the new athletic facilities built by Uncle Nike (which will look dated in 10 years). "Downtown" Eugene is dead, all the businesses having moved outwards to big shiny stripmalls and the big shopping center.

And the section of I-5 from Portland to Eugene is one of the most boring pieces of highway outside of Nebraska. You think rolling hills of corn is boring? Try flat fields of grass seed and sod.

You want to be VERY careful with Idaho. It is a school on the decline (if that is even possible). If you are taking out any loans over maybe 25k, you are in a risky situation. The career services is completely non-existent. Even if you finish at the very top of the class the career person hands you a NALP book and tells you good luck. There is basically no OCI and less than 5 or so people get good firm jobs out of OCI.The building is likely the most outdated in the country.

The Palouse is pretty but kind of claustrophobic b/c you cannot see over the hills.....ever. It's like you are living in a funnel. It is very pretty in the Spring and Fall, where the fields are green and the farms are either growing or about to be harvested.

You will have NO, trust me on this, NO opportunities to intern in the area. There are like 100 attorneys in that small town and they will not pay you. You will be lucky to land a gov. internship (no pay of course) w/in maybe 100 miles. If you have top grades you might be able to squeak into Boise.

Know this: you are completely on your own job-wise. 100%. They tell you this from day one and they are not kidding. No one is knocking on the door for its grads and you will be turned down by the vast majority of employers solely based on your school's name.

Oregon is far more respected and in an area where you can find work. U of I is trying desperately to get its third-year Boise program under way b/c Concordia (a private law school) is going to be opening up shop soon. I've been told by over 10-20 students that they'd take the unaccredited Concordia w/ private school tuition so they would not have to live and try to find work in Moscow. Be VERY WARY of this school.

If you are willing to take the risk, go ahead, but be willing to bust absolute ass to get anything meaningful. Idaho's median salary is like 45k but what you won't see is that it is highly likely that over half of the students you start out with will not ever find legal work.....at all.

I am probably the least "doom and gloom" poster on here, so trust me that all I say is not an overexaggeration.

If you KNOW you want to be an ADA or something and you have an ENORMOUS scholly, go in and gun for that position from day one. Be working on connections and do nothing but crim law your entire time there. Work for free, etc. I know one person that landed a Boise City Attorney 2L paid internship from OCI and he was on law review and grew up in Boise.

I just think Oregon is much better, but I don't have a lot of info. on that school. Good luck in your choice!

Totally. I just want people to be completely informed when they start getting lured in by Idaho's cheap tuition and laid-back granola lifestyle, which I admit can be charming at times. By the way, the community is very small and there are some very good and some not good at all professors. It is a mixed bag.

Also know that this school does not care about your grades. It does not have a mandatory curve which absolutely screwed over half of the school last year. They did not fix this problem second semester and actually made it worse. I don't want to sound like everything is bad there, it's just that there is a lot of bad mixed in w/ the good, and for me, the bad far outweighed the good.

One last thing: the administration is awful but many of the lower level admin people and many of the professors are awesome and truly believe in the school. There are some great people there, so don't let the inadequate administration taint your impression of some of the people there that really matter, like Professors Bridy, Long, and of course Seamon who is absolutely awesome.

CanadianWolf wrote:Mystery solved. So the big secret is that the facilities are outdated & employment opportunities scarce.

There is much more, if you re-read my post, such as shady grading techniques and some very awful professors, coupled w/ a crappy administration. Not to mention most people cannot stand the QOL. Most of your class will be from Idaho and they think of Northern Idaho is a kind of black hole that they want to escape at any cost.

Edit: the biggest thing there was the Wal-Mart and they just moved that to Pullman. Now all it has is a Winco.